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User:Advanced Materials Laboratory/sandbox

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AML
June 2020
Reference Information
Service:Materials Testing
Division:Crew and Thermal Systems Division
Branch:EC2 - Design and Analysis
Manager:Joseph Settles (281.483.7033) joseph.r.settles@nasa.gov
Chief:Victoriano (Vic) Untalan (281.483.9145) Victoriano.z.untalan@nasa.gov

29°33′26.4″N 95°05′08.5″W / 29.557333°N 95.085694°W / 29.557333; -95.085694


The Advanced Materials Laboratory (AML) is a materials testing laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center. This laboratory is operated by the EC2 (Design and Analysis) branch of the Crew and Thermal Systems Division. There are over 100 pieces of equipment that provide testing services for developing and evaluating materials and hardware for aerospace and industrial applications

Overview

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The JSC Advanced Materials Laboratory (AML) was originally created as a textile testing laboratory. Over the decades the AML has grown and now provides testing services to evaluate a large range of materials and structures; including textiles, films, composite materials, foams, elastomers, paper, metals, and adhesives. In addition to serving NASA's needs for material analysis, the Advanced Materials Laboratory is also a part of the JSC Partnership Gateway program which aims to connect JSC to commercial partners for co-development of new technologies.

Goal

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To Exceed Customer's Expectations

History

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The Advanced Materials Laboratory (AML) was created in 1988. To create the lab, NASA cleared a large room on the east side of the second floor of building seven. The goal was to have a laboratory dedicated to testing soft goods like textiles, thin films, and foams.

Such a laboratory existed through the 1960s to the early 1970s. At this time, it was part of a suite of testing laboratories located along the west wall of building 7. NASA moved the suite of laboratories to building 13 after the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center became the Johnson Space Center (JSC). The new Structures and Mechanics Division (ES) became the organization for all materials research, testing, and certification activities. The move to building 13 included personnel, laboratory equipment, furniture, and documents.

The JSC Crew and Thermal Systems Division (CTSD) brought back, from ES, testing equipment specific to textiles and thin films after installing laboratory counters and cabinets in the AML. The Division acquired an Instron Tensile Tester and an Atlas Weather-o-Meter. Most of the instrument boxes moved from building 13 were not opened until 1990.

In 1989, contracted personnel started working in the laboratory.  A technician from ILC Dover, trained to use the Instron tester, occasionally ran a few tests.  The AML did not have assigned personnel. A Lockheed engineer evaluated fabrics in support of the Shuttle and Space Station Freedom programs. NASA Chief for Non-Metallic Materials, Dr. Frederic Dawn, who moved back to CTSD several years earlier, supervised the laboratory. Dr. Dawn’s vision was to have a laboratory equivalent to that of United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (The Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, now CCDC SC).

In 1990, Dr. Dawn gave to his NASA intern the responsibility to install all textile testing equipment on the counters, and to check if the various instruments were working.  Nuts and bolts were scattered in a separate box, and assembly instructions were missing. The intern ordered copies of instructions manuals form vendors and manufacturers. Various mechanical technicians helped when they were free. They spent time figuring which nuts and bolts belonged to which instrument.  After, a couple months of confusion, the EC division chief authorized to staff the laboratory with two skilled individuals. Lockheed hired a retired NASA scientist who had work in ES and knew all the instruments that had been moved to EC. The company also hired a retired appliance repair technician from Sears. A team of three individuals, a chemist, the technician, and an engineering intern were the first assigned permanent personnel to the AML.

In 1991, the AML was open to customers. The laboratory started supporting other EC branches on a regular basis. The team of three started supporting GFE development by providing testing services to project engineers. Dr. Dawn realized his dream to restart R&D work in EC when the retired NASA chemist brought to the team his knowledge of textile testing and his industry connections. Within two years, NASA had a non-disclosure agreement with the Dow Chemical company to evaluate the new polybenzimidazole fiber the company had just developed. The research effort lasted two years. Other research projects came along, and activities to support Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs gradually increased to become the dominant function of the AML today.

Test Equipment - Current list (updated weekly)

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This wiki page is relatively new and is being updated on a weekly basis. The current list does not reflect all test equipment available. Please contact lab manager for availability of additional equipment.

  • MUST click the "Test Equipment" link above to view the current AML's Test Equipment

Testing Standards and Practices

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The AML is equipped to comply with common industry and government testing standards like the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Federal Test Method Standards 191A, and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC). Additionally, given the experimental and innovative focus of NASA and the aerospace industry, the AML is also capable of rapid development of custom designed test programs in order to adapt to the needs of its customers.

Just a few of the commonly used AML standard test methods:

  • ASTM D638, Tensile Properties of Plastic
  • ASTM D751, Coated Fabrics
  • ASTM D2240, Rubber Property - Durometer Hardness
  • ASTM D2261, Tearing Strength of Fabrics by Tongue (Single Rip) Procedure (Constant-Rate-of-Extension Tensile Testing Machine)
  • ASTM D2863, Measuring the Minimum Oxygen Concentration to Support Candle-Like Combustion of Plastics (Oxygen Index)
  • ASTM D3885, Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Flexing and Abrasion Method)
  • ASTM D5035, Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Strip Method)
  • ASTM C177, Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus

Laboratory Capabilities

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Mechanical Testing

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Mechanical Testing is the most common type of materials testing performed within the AML. This testing is focused on determining the physical limitations of a given material. The typical mechanical tests that are performed are:

Thermal and Electrical Property Testing

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NASA has developed satellites, rovers, and human spacecraft for use in some of the most extreme environments in the solar system. From the surface of Earth and other bodies in our solar system, to the far reaches of deep space, NASA's hardware must be able to withstand the environment for which it is designed to operate. For this reason, the AML performs tests to determine how well different hardware will perform in these environments. Common thermal and electrical tests performed are:

Other Services

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The following are other services the AML provides to help NASA and other contracting companies to determine the feasibility of their hardware:

File:Crew Care Clothing Space (CCCS).jpg
Crew Clothing Care Space (CCCS)

Crew Clothing Care Space (CCCS)

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The Crew Clothing Care Space (CCCS) of the Advanced Materials Laboratory is used for clothing and laundry research activities. This space is equipped with three domestic laundry washing machines and a laundry drying machine. It has hot and cold water supply as well as deionized water for the three washers. It is also used to store the clothes inventory of the Advanced Clothing Systems team who are conducting the clothing and laundry research.

Located in Building 7B, Room 1300B. This revision includes the addition of the O3 Pure Ozone Laundry System. The O3 Pure Ozone Laundry System will be attached to the wall just above and behind the washing machine. The O3 Pure Ozone Laundry System is a COTS item used to reduce energy and water usage.

The CCCS is currently being setup to support dust mitigation evaluations for the Patch Plate Project. This lab also supports the Advanced Exploration System (AES) clothing systems. NASA's / CCCS also is cooperating with Proctor and Gamble and Texas Tech University on baseline testing for all upcoming clothing cleaning trials.


How to Request a Test

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For the CTSD Supporting Branches (EC3, EC4, EC5, EC6, & EC7)

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The AML is sustained primarily through service pool funding from each of the division's branches at the beginning of each fiscal year. The AML then provides testing support throughout the year to those branches who contributed to the AML Service Pool.

  • Contact laboratory manager to arrange meeting
  • Customer will need to provide a requirements list to the laboratory manager
  • A Form JF90, Test, Analysis, Service Request will be completed by customer (see AML Important Documents)

For Other Organizations Outside CTSD

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  • Contact laboratory manager to arrange meeting
  • Interested organizations will need to provide a requirements list to the laboratory manager
  • A cost estimate will be generated for the potential customer
  • A Form JF90, Test, Analysis, Service Request will be completed by customer (see AML Important Documents)

AML Important Documents

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